The present invention relates to disc drive data storage systems and, more particularly, to a method of applying a serial number or other information pattern to a surface of a disc head slider.
Disc drives of the xe2x80x9cWinchester typexe2x80x9d are well known in the industry. Such drives use rigid discs coated with a magnetizable medium for storage of digital information in a plurality of circular, concentric data tracks. The discs are mounted on a spindle motor which causes the discs to spin and the surfaces of the discs to pass under respective head gimbal assemblies (HGAs). The HGAs carry transducers which write information to and read information from the disc surface. An actuator mechanism moves the HGAs from track to track across the surface of the discs under control of electronic circuitry. The actuator mechanism includes a track accessing arm and a load beam for each HGA. The load beam provides a preload force which presses the HGA toward the disc surface.
The HGA includes a hydrodynamic (e.g. air) bearing slider and a gimbal. The gimbal is positioned between the slider and the load beam to provide a resilient connection that allows the slider to pitch and roll while following the topography of the disc. The slider includes a slider body having a leading edge, a trailing edge and an air bearing surface which faces the disc surface. As the disc rotates, the disc drags air under the slider along the air bearing surface, which creates a hydrodynamic lifting force that causes the slider to lift and fly above the disc surface. The transducer is typically mounted at or near the trailing edge of the slider.
Air bearing disc head sliders are formed from a substrate known as a wafer. A matrix of transducers is applied to a top surface of the wafer and then the wafer is sliced into a plurality of bars. Each bar includes a plurality of individual slider bodies, with each body having a corresponding transducer. Each bar is then diced into individual slider bodies.
It is often desired to apply a serial number or some other useful information to each slider body. Serial numbers have been applied to the leading edges of slider bodies by a laser scribing process. During the laser scribing process, a beam of laser light is directed toward the slider substrate material. The beam removes material in a pattern corresponding to the serial number. A disadvantage of the laser scribing process is that the removed material often redeposits on the slider substrate, which creates contamination. Furthermore, the legibility of the applied serial number is occasionally questionable.
One embodiment of the present invention is directed to a disc head slider for use in a disc drive data storage system. The disc head slider includes a slider body having a slider substrate material with a surface. A transducer is supported by the slider body, and a film is applied to the surface and graphically represents a character pattern.
Another embodiment of the present invention is directed to a disc head slider, which includes a slider body having a slider substrate material with a surface, a transducer supported by the slider body, and a metal film applied to the surface. An information pattern is defined by the metal film and graphically represents a serial number for the disc head slider.
Yet another embodiment of the present invention is directed to a disc head slider substrate wafer. The wafer includes an upper surface and a lower surface, which is opposite to the upper surface. A plurality of individual slider body locations are defined within the wafer. A plurality of transducers are fabricated on the upper surface, wherein each transducer is positioned at a corresponding one of the individual slider body locations. A film is applied to the lower surface. A plurality of graphical patterns are defined by the film, wherein each graphical pattern is positioned at a corresponding one of the individual slider body locations and represents a serial number for that slider body location.